


I Can't Fix You

by Madness_of_Xara



Series: Chelley Love [1]
Category: Portal (Video Game)
Genre: Aboveground, F/M, Forgive and forget, From Core to Android, Lot more stuff that I'll tag later, Love, Nightmares, PTSD, Pain, Post Portal 2, Rating May Change, Romance, Therapy, Undergoing a rewrite!, chelley - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-14
Updated: 2016-12-20
Packaged: 2018-09-08 11:23:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8842810
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Madness_of_Xara/pseuds/Madness_of_Xara
Summary: After finally being free from Aperture Laboratories, Chell finds herself living with a small family, working for room and board. When she lives there for three years, having made a life for herself, and a good one at that, the last thing she is expecting to see is a package on her doorstep.((CURRENTLY UNDERGOING A REWRITE))





	1. Chapter 1

Chell still couldn't believe it. She had finally escaped that place... It seemed so surreal, being outside of Aperture Laboratories after having lived there for so much of her life. Was this what sunlight felt like? Baring down on her with the intensity of GLaDOS's stare as she watched the woman complete test after test, but without the sickening feeling that accompanied it? Was this what the wind felt like? Gently caressing her dark skin with feather like kisses, welcoming her back above ground? The stalks of wheat were prickly and had a textured softness about them, grazing along the flesh of her outstretched arms. It was such a weird texture, she would admit to herself. Fresh air filled her lungs for the first time in who knows how long.

After having traveled for a few days in her search for civilization, Chell began to feel the toll of having run herself ragged down underground in the facility. It had never bothered her when she lived in Aperture Laboratories, mainly because she never really had time to notice. That, and the constant pumping of Adrenal Vapor into her air supply. But now, exiled into the outside world, she found her stomach to be in pain from a lack of food, her mouth and throat both dry from a lack of water, her body aching from all of the strain and abuse she had suffered running tests and narrowly avoiding death on more than one occasion, and her feet aching and burning in pain from walking and running. She had contemplated stopping for a break more than once on her journey, excluding having to stop for the night in order to sleep, but she knew that she shouldn't stop otherwise, in fear of possibly dying without finding civilization.

That was why she had avoided bringing her Companion Cube along with her. She didn't want to risk bringing it along in the fear that it would only slow her down. As much as she appreciated having it back in her life at first, knowing that it was GLaDOS’s way of saying her final goodbye, she knew that she needed to move on from it, at least for now. She would one day come back for it, possibly, but that day was not today.

When the rain first started to fall from the dark clouds overhead, Chell was admittedly alarmed. She had never experienced rain, not that she could remember. It was cold and wet, and initially, she didn't like the feeling of it. But after a moment of running through the pouring rain, she began to relax. It wasn't toxic, and it didn't seem to be hurting her. When some droplets slipped into her mouth through her lips, she was relieved to find that it was drinkable. She lost count of the minutes as she stood there, in the middle of the vast expanses of wheat stalks, with her head tilted back, mouth open, catching drop after drop of cool, refreshing rain water. All she knew was that she was feeling a little better whenever she finally lowered her head, swallowing the water that she had caught.

It helped quench her thirst when she needed it, her throat no longer barren and sore. She continued on further, walking for a few more hours in the rain. At first, when she began to see buildings off in the distance, she thought that perhaps she had been hallucinating, but she was quick to realize how impossible that was. She had never seen an actual building as far as she could remember, unless one counted the outer constructs of the testing chambers and the various structures that made up the inner workings of Aperture Laboratories. How could she hallucinate something she had never seen before in her life?

Chell began to sprint towards the conglomeration of buildings, expending what little energy she had left. Just a bit more, just a little further, she kept chanting to herself silently in her head. Her vision began to blur around the edges as she got closer. The pitter patter of the rain as it hit the ground grew to a roar in her ears. Her heart was hammering hard in her chest, rising into her throat. Just a little more...

Just as she reached the concrete sidewalk, she felt her legs begin to tremble, her knees wobbling together. She made it! Now, to find a place to stay the night and-.

She collapsed, exhaustion finally winning out in the end.

When Chell woke up next, she immediately went into a panicked frenzy. The room was painstakingly white, like the panels back at the facility. Had escaping that place been only a dream? A long, painfully vivid dream? She heard something off in the distance, and part of her believed that she could hear the pre-recorded messages that she had heard in the first few chambers after being woken up out of cryogenic stasis. When she felt pressure on her shoulders and thighs, she began to struggle with everything that she had, her heart racing abnormally fast.

When shadows came into her line of sight, she panicked worse. She was scared, and she feared the worse. Had GLaDOS found her and decided enough of the games? Had GLaDOS grown tired of the tests and decided to exact Her revenge on her for killing Her all those years ago? Were those Her cables wrapped around her limbs, holding her in place, stabbing something into her arm? A hoarse scream ruptured from her throat, her vocal chords straining under the sudden attempt at use. Whatever had been stabbed into her arm, though, seemed to be taking effect before too long, forcing her to relax. The cables retreated once she was no longer able to fight back, with or without them being present.

"...is...?" a voice said from somewhere far away. Or were they close? Chell couldn't tell. All she could hear was the automated voice of the psychotic AI. "...st take a deep breath... We aren't here to hurt you..." Her vision cleared up some and she saw that it wasn't GLaDOS's cables, but rather, it had been the hands of a doctor and a nurse, having heard her heart monitor going off when she had woken up and went into a panicked frenzy. She realized that it had not truly been GLaDOS that she had heard, but the nurse. She swallowed and trembled, looking between them. Her first humans... Other than herself, these were the first humans that she had ever laid eyes on...! And in the flesh! Not like those paintings down in the deep recesses of the facility from when the founder and creator Cave Johnson had been running the place. These were real, living, breathing human beings... Just like her.

She fought back against the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes.

It hadn’t been a dream after all.

"Sorry about the sedative. Sometimes, it's required for patients who get a bit rowdy. We... Honestly, we weren't expecting to have to sedate you, though,” the doctor said as he shook his head. "But then, we should have been better prepared. Ah, well." He smiled. "Live and learn, yeah? Get some rest. We'll be here when you wake up."

Chell couldn't fight against the sedative, no matter how hard she tried. She fell asleep within minutes, her vision blurring into darkness as her eyelids fell closed. When she woke up, she was relieved that the doctor had kept his promise, waiting there in the room, writing something on a clipboard. She wasn't sure how long she had been asleep. She felt sluggish at first, moving each individual digit slowly before squeezing them into a fist.

"Ah, you're awake," the doctor said when he looked up and noticed her moving, walking over to the side of her bed. "Let me help you sit up..." He placed a small bit of pressure to one arm, to which Chell flinched from. He withdrew his hand. "It's okay. You can trust me." Chell was wary, but after a moment, she allowed him to help her sit up, watching his every move to the best of her ability. Once he was done pressing a button to lift the head of the bed, he released her. "Alright. Now, is it okay if I do a basic check up on you, ma'am?" She thought about it. When was the last time she actually had one of those done? Chell nodded and the man beamed. "Perfect!" He took a taped needle from her arm - so that was what was in her arm - and helped her stand.

Her legs trembled, threatening to collapse from underneath her. The doctor was there to support her, though, so she thankfully didn't fall. He guided her to a scale and had her stand on it. The doctor looked surprised when he saw her weight. Based off of his look, Chell feared that maybe she had come out of suspension malnourished. Granted, that was perfectly normal, but it was still worrisome, she felt. He offered her a smile before guiding her to a part of the wall with a sort of measuring mechanism in front of it. He recorded her height, nodding once to himself approvingly. Then, he had her sit back on the bed to do the rest of her checkup, taking her blood pressure, temperature, and so on.

"Aside from your weight, not to mention the lack of use in your vocal chords, you are in perfect health," the doctor told her with a smile. "I will have a nurse bring you something to eat," he continued, moving to leave the room. "She will be here momentarily." He then stepped out, leaving Chell alone in the room on her own.

The room was sterile and white, just like the testing chambers back at Aperture Laboratories. Ugh, why did her thoughts keep going back to that place? She shook her head, returning her focus on the room she was in. It was of decent size, containing two beds, two sets of equipment, a window, and two bedside tables with empty vases on their surfaces.

Overall, it was simple, plain as can be.

A gentle knock came to the door, drawing Chell's attention.

"Dr. Johnson wanted me to bring you something to eat," the woman said kindly. Johnson? Like the founder of-? Chell clamped down on that thought and forced it away from the forefront of her mind. It was only a coincidence. The nurse gave her a tray of food, or what could be mistaken for food. "Oh, I almost forgot. You have a visitor. Would you like to see them?” Who could it have been? Maybe it had been the person who had taken her to the place she was in now? Curiosity got the best of her. She nodded. "Great! I'll go and get her." With that, the nurse left the room, once again leaving Chell alone to eat and mull over her thoughts.

Who would walk in through that door? The mystery had the woman on edge, her mind racing too much to process that she needed to eat while she could. Who had wanted to see her? Better yet, why did they want to see her? While her thoughts raced in her skull, a young woman entered the room. Her skin was a dark tan color, and she walked with a gentle confidence about her. Her cocoa brown eyes were kind as they landed on Chell. “Oh, thank goodness, you’re alive!” she exclaimed, smiling from ear to ear. Her voice startled Chell out of her thoughts. “When I found you on the sidewalk, I didn’t know what to do! I just went on autopilot and-.” The woman shook her head quickly. “Oh, look at me rambling on! You don’t even know who I am!” She seemed to dust herself off as a way to calm herself. “My name is Isabel Monroe.” She tucked some dark hair behind her ear. “It’s nice to meet you…?”

It didn’t occur to Chell immediately, but after a moment of silence, she realized what Isabel was waiting on. She was waiting for her to say her name! Looking around herself, Chell found herself lacking pen and paper. While she could easily just try to speak and say her name, she didn’t know the woman, therefore she didn’t exactly trust her with her voice. Not yet. Not to mention that speaking after so many years could be hellish on her vocal chords. So, for the moment, she would pretend to still be a mute. Isabel walked over and offered her hand, smiling.

“Why don’t you write your name on my hand using your fingers?” she offered softly. Chell nodded and took her hand, noting the warmth. How long had it been since she had felt the warmth of another human being? Too long, she realized. There was a memory associated with warmth, but there was nothing there when she tried. She ignored it in favor of tracing out the outlines of the letters that spelled her name. “Chell? That’s a beautiful name,” Isabel said once it seemed that Chell was done writing her name. “It reminds me of my older sister…” A sad look overcame her smile, the light in her eyes dulling just slightly, as though she were remembering something saddening. “She had gone to work with our dad and…” She shook her head, forcing her smile back into place. “It’s nothing. What’s done is done. Gotta live in the present.”

Chell gave her a bit of a strange look as she took back her hand. The woman had lost family? That… didn’t sound good. At least, based off of her reaction, it was safe to assume it wasn’t good. Not recalling if she had had family at one point in her younger years, Chell wasn’t entirely sure. Ah, well. It didn’t matter at the moment.

“May I sit beside you, Chell?” Isabel asked, gesturing to the spot beside her legs. Though wary still of this woman, Chell nodded, and Isabel sat down beside her. “Now, I know that I am a complete stranger to you, but I want to ask you something really important. I noticed the way you looked whenever I was taking you here. You look like you’ve seen Hell and came out of it after a long fight.” She paused for a moment, and it wasn’t long before Chell realized why. She was looking to see if she was right in assuming that. All Chell did was nod. She wasn’t that far off from the truth, to be told. Isabel continued, “You look like you haven’t seen a loving home in years. I would hate to see you leaving this place only to live on the streets. So, I guess what I’m asking is… Why don’t you come and live with me for a while? Just until you get back on your feet and can support yourself.”

Chell frowned some and took the woman’s hand. It took a moment, but she expressed her distrust. Isabel nodded in understanding. “I understand. You don’t trust a stranger, and that is perfectly normal. I just don’t want to see you being thrown out onto the streets. The world is cold and harsh, and everyone deserves a hot meal and a roof over their head.” She patted Chell’s hand, noticing the way she flinched away from it. “At least think on it, will you?” She offered a smile. “In the meantime… May I stay and talk for a while? It might be nice to have someone listen…” Chell nodded. She might pick up on some vital information that she would need to survive. She may even give the woman a bit of her trust in the meantime.

And she was right. Isabel told her about the town, about the community and the people who lived in it. The community was good in the sense that people tried to help one another when they could, and during holidays, they all tried to get together for small parties or barbeques or the like before spending time with their families. There was the occasional bad egg, but they usually were treated so kindly that they eventually changed and got used to the way the community worked or they kept to themselves. That alone seemed to frighten Chell, but Isabel was quick to add in it was mostly the latter – the whole ‘kill them with kindness’ thing was their technique in making sure the town stayed peaceful. It was easy enough to find jobs from time to time, and if you had no experience, people would hire you to do basic things just so you would have some references. The town had good food, good people, and overall, it was like a fifties sitcom. The joke had gone over Chell’s head, but Isabel just kept going.

She told her about her own family, a loving yet rough husband named Carl who worked as a mechanic and a sweet little daughter named Susan. Chell didn’t really seem to be listening much anymore once she started to talk about them, beginning to zone out some. It didn’t really seem to be vital information to her survival, though she did try to pay attention to the best of her ability. It had just been a habit that she had picked up whenever she went through the testing chambers, knowing better than to listen to taunts and misguidance. It was how she sometimes got through listening to Whea-. Her brain stopped that train of thought. That little sphere of stupidity was no longer a part of her life. There was no point in wasting time thinking about him. As her mind wandered, she was suddenly pulled out by the sound of a certain word. She looked up at Isabel questioningly.

“Susan is adopted,” Isabel repeated, this time a bit worriedly. “Are… Are you okay?”

A flurry of memories flashed before her eyes, of GLaDOS taunting Chell about how she didn’t have any parents that loved her and the like and of Wheatley, attempting to do the same in an effort to get to her. She ground her teeth and clenched her fists. It was going to take a long time for her to stop doing that, thinking about Aperture. Though, she supposed, she should have expected it. That place had been her whole life for as long as she could remember. She let out a slow sigh, feeling herself relax, bit by bit. She then took Isabel’s hand, explaining that she, too, had been adopted, but had bad memories about it. She left it at that.

After a bit more talking, Isabel stood. “I will be back here in a little while, okay?” she told her softly. She then left the room, leaving Chell alone with her thoughts.

Chell thought about the offer Isabel had made her. She knew that she really shouldn’t take her up on it – she didn’t know the woman, and for all she knew, the kindness was an act, and she didn’t know the woman’s true colors. It took some paintings for her to realize GLaDOS’s true colors all those years ago – so who was to say that Isabel was not the same? But… on the off chance that the woman was actually genuinely that kind… Well, the only real way that she could come to a decision was to think of the pros and cons of her situation. The pros? She would have a roof over her head, access to a shower and medical supplies, and she would be able to enjoy at least one good meal a day. Not only that, but she would be in a controlled environment, and she wouldn’t be exposed to the elements. The cons…

There weren’t many, if she had to be honest.

In fact, there was only one that she could really think of: living with people she didn’t know and thus, couldn’t trust just yet.

The pros outweighed the cons.

Chell knew then what her decision would be, waiting now only for Isabel to come back. When she did, she waved her over, taking her hand. She wrote only one word.

‘Yes.’

Isabel was confused at first, trying to figure out what Chell could be saying yes to. Then, after a moment, it seemed to click, and her eyes lit up in surprise and joy both. “I will go take care of the paperwork right now!” she said, smiling at her. Chell attempted to return it, but if there managed to even be one at all in that moment, it would have been weak and forced. She would have to watch her back while she lived with the woman, at least until she could trust her.


	2. Chapter 2

Chell had stayed in the hospital for another couple of days, eating the food that was brought to her (one nurse teased that she was the only person she had ever known to have actually liked the hospital food) and walking whenever she needed to, though she was still a bit unbalanced, especially after they removed the long fall boots in all their glory – they had been practically fused to her legs, according to the doctors. That didn’t surprise her. They were removable, though granted with some pain, but they were meant to stay on. It wouldn’t do to lose them somehow when you needed them, yeah? Isabel had signed out the official paperwork that would be for her release, but Chell had to sign some paperwork regarding to information about herself, such as her name, number, address… She didn’t know what to put down, so she asked Isabel to help her. Thankfully, the woman was kind enough to do so. What she couldn’t put down, she told the doctor was due to a memory block. He didn’t realize that she had memory loss – it wasn’t that by any means, but she allowed him to think what he wanted – so he assured her that once she remembered, she was free to contact the hospital and fill out the rest of her information. It was shortly after that that she was free to go home with Isabel.

Isabel had given her nice, warm clothing to wear, her old clothing shoved into a plastic bag. She even gave her a pair of shoes to wear! Actual ones with laces and comfortable soles that were just meant to help ease the stress on the bottoms of her feet. Chell wore a baggy sweater, tight pants, and fresh underclothing, newly bought. She made a note to herself to keep her boots but burn the jumpsuit and unclothing whenever she got the chance. She had felt uncomfortable in the attire at first due to having worn a jumpsuit uniform for the longest time, but it wasn’t long before she was used to wearing it.

After checking out of the hospital, Isabel had driven Chell to her new home. There, she met Carl, a gruff man who had five or six years over his wife, with graying hair, a five o’clock shadow, piercing green eyes, and a calculating look about him. He had spoken with an accent that Chell couldn’t place. He had told her point blank that he didn’t trust her, to which she felt a bit relieved. She wasn’t alone in the lack of trust department. They agreed to earn one another’s trust, and simply left it at that. After meeting Carl, she met his and Isabel’s daughter, Susan, a mute young teenage girl with beautiful blond hair, sharp crystal blue eyes like her own, and a soft look about her, much like Isabel. She had been shy at first, but when she realized that Chell was meaning no harm, she immediately approached her and hugged her, trying to talk to her through her hands.

They settled for writing down what they needed to say until Chell could learn how to speak to the girl through her own language.

After being properly introduced, they were able to have dinner, to which Chell learned they performed some weird ritual before actually eating, holding hands and closing their eyes and thanking someone called ‘the Lord.’ When they realized she was left out, Isabel and Susan offered to her their hands and motioned for her to copy them. Chell did, but only to be polite. It took everything in her to not eat herself sick. She thanked them for the meal after she finished eating, taking the dirty dishes she saw on the table and placing them in the sink. Susan walked over to her, politely asking that she move. When Susan started to wash the dishes, Chell immediately found a clean rag and dried them off.

Isabel had wanted to protest, but Carl told her that it would be good that the woman do it. If she was going to be staying with them, she could at the very least help out with housework. Isabel hesitated, but knew that her husband was right. After the table was cleaned up and the dishes were washed, dried, and put away, they all returned to the living room, intent on playing some games so that everyone can get to know one another.

Chell had learned that Carl was a troublemaker growing up, so his parents had sent him to military school to set him on the right path. He had met Isabel after he got out of the military, during his college years. He also liked the color purple and played the trumpet whenever he got a hankering for it. Isabel, Chell found out, had grown up to a pretty average childhood. She had been a good girl with good grades in school. Her favorite color was red and she liked the sound of waterfalls. Susan was like her mother in the sense that she was a good girl with good grades. The only subject she didn’t do well in was science. Her favorite color was pink and she loved listening to electronic music.

When it came time for Chell to give away facts about herself, she had to think. They were normal people, so they would think that she was insane if she admitted being trapped underground in a science facility, forced to test while trying to avoid death by a vengeful AI. She decided to go with the gilded form of the truth. She stated that she was adopted, like Susan, but her mother was a manipulative one. She didn’t grow up happy, but after she got the chance to run away, she did. She had been homeschooled, she told them, and she excelled at puzzles and science. She stated that she hated the color orange and she liked cake. She offered to help Susan with her homework if she ever needed it, to which the girl grinned and nodded excitedly.

After they had learned about one another – to a point, anyways – they went to bed, Isabel showing Chell where she would be sleeping. It was a small bedroom, Isabel apologized, but it was more than Chell could have asked for. She thanked her and went to lay down, laying down on the bed that rested against the wall by the window. It was the most comfortable thing she had ever laid on, even if others would say that it was as stiff as a rock.

She slept in her clothes.

[xXx]

A few months had passed since Chell had started to live with the small family. She had helped Susan with her homework, and in return, Susan had taught the woman how to sign and communicate by using her hands. Chell had picked up a bunch of odd jobs, not to mention a few chores around the house such as dishes and trash, getting paid a good amount for the work she did. She had been saving back the money for her own wardrobe, paying for the gas that Isabel used whenever she took her places. When she had a few hundred dollars, she asked Isabel to take her clothes shopping.

By the time they were done, she was happy to have a whole new wardrobe of her very own consisting of tight pants and various types of shirts, all baggy. Nothing had even a hint of orange. She had made certain of that. She even bought a pair of boots, feeling a lot more comfortable wearing them over the shoes Isabel had loaned her. She thanked Isabel, telling her that she appreciated being patient with her while sharing her clothes with her.

But of course, those months were not filled with rainbows and daisies, no sir. While Chell was obviously making headway in her new life, there was a part of her that was still trapped in her old one. Anytime she laid down for sleep, she silently pleaded herself to not have nightmares of that place. Of course, more often than not, her mind didn’t listen to her pleas, forcing her to suffer night after night with nightmares.

_Chell took a deep breath before she walked through the emancipation grill leading through Her chamber. Before her was GLaDOS, a ladder leading up to a platform that went around Her, spherical items attached to Her Chassis. Her voice was as taunting and automatic as ever as She regarded Chell._

_"Well, you found me. Congratulations. Was it worth it?"_

_It was, Chell knew. This battle had been a long time coming, and the woman knew that she would win. She had to if she wanted to survive._

_"Because despite your violent behavior, the only thing you've managed to break so far is my heart," She continued. "Maybe you could settle for that and we'll just call it a day. But I guess we both know that isn't going to happen. You chose this path. Now I have a surprise for you. Deploying surprise in five. Four." As soon as She said 'four,' the room darkened briefly, Her Chassis sparking. One of the spherical objects dropped to the floor below Her Chassis. "Time out for a second, that wasn't supposed to happen." Chell walked over and picked up the object, watching it roll to look at her. "Do you see that thing that fell out of me? What is that? It's not the surprise... I've never seen it before." Walking over to where she saw the incinerator, she placed down the core and placed two portals strategically before moving to a black box of a room off to the side. "Never mind. It's a mystery I'll solve later... By myself... Because you'll be dead with the sphere, cycle through these - where are you taking that thing? I wouldn't bother with that thing. My guess is that touching it will just make your life even worse somehow." Chell pressed the button she found inside before picking up the sphere. "I don't want to tell you your business, but if it were me, I'd leave that thing alone."_

_She dropped it through the portal into the incinerator._

_It exploded, shaking the room._

_GLaDOS's voice warbled for a moment as she spoke, "You are kidding me. Did you just toss the Aperture Science Thing We Don't Know What It Does into the Aperture Science Emergency Intelligence Incinerator? That has got to be the dumbest thing that - whoah... Whoah, whoah, whoah..." Her voice became smoother, more seductive... It didn't sound as automated anymore. She began to laugh, sending shivers up Chell's spine. "Good news: I figured out what that thing that you just burned up did. It was a morality core they installed after I flooded the Enrichment Center with a deadly neurotoxin to make me stop flooding the Enrichment Center with a deadly neurotoxin. So get comfortable while I warm up the neurotoxin emitters..."_

_Neurotoxin began to pour into the room from several vents, a timer coming up above the incinerator, alerting her to how much time Chell had before the neurotoxin reached capacity and killed her._

_She had six minutes and counting._

_She had to hold her breath for six whole minutes._

_Here goes nothing._

_"Huh. That core may have had some ancillary responsibilities. I can't shut off the turret defenses." Chell saw the blue sighting lines and immediately came up with an idea, shooting her portals where she needed them. She guided the turrets to shoot into one so that their missiles would go through one and exit the other to hit GLaDOS. "Oh, well. If you want my advice, you should just lie down in front of a rocket. Trust me, it'll be a lot less painful than the neurotox-." She was hit with the rocket, causing the room to tremble and another core to fall off of her. As Chell picked up the core, GLaDOS continued, "Alright, keep doing whatever it is you think you're doing. Killing you and giving you good advice aren't mutually exclusive. The rocket really is the way to go." As She spoke, the core in Chell's grasp questioned everything around it in a sweet, cute innocent way. "That thing you burned up isn't important to me. It's the fluid catalytic cracking unit. It made shoes for orphans. Nice job breaking it, hero." Chell almost felt bad when she dumped the second core, too, into the incinerator._

_Almost._

_When it screamed, she felt only a little guilt that passed quickly._

_"This isn't brave. It's murder. What did I ever do to you?" Oh, Chell could think of a few things. She made a pained noise as the room trembled. "You think you're doing some damage? Two plus two is ten... in base four! I'm fine! I let you survive this long because I was curious about your behavior. Well, you've managed to destroy that part of me." As She spoke, Chell continued to shoot her portals to and fro, positioning them where she needed them, once again preparing for a rocket to hit GLaDOS. "Unfortunately, as much as I'd love to now, I can't get the neurotoxin into your head any faster. I'd just like to point out that you were given every opportunity to succeed. There was even going to be a party for you. A big party that all your friends were invited to. I invited your best friend the companion cube. Of course, he couldn't come because you murdered him. All your other friends couldn't come either because you don't have any other friends. Because of how unlikable you are. It says so right here in your personnel file: Unlikeable. Liked by no one. A bitter, unlikable loner who's passing shall not be mourn-."_

_She had to hit Her with two rockets, but it did the trick. Another core fell off of her and Chell went to retrieve it. The AI continued as though she had not been interrupted by two rockets._

_"'Shall not be mourned.' That's exactly what it says. Very formal. Very official. It also says that you were adopted. So that's funny, too." The core that Chell picked up seemed to be reciting a cake recipe, over and over. "Speaking of curiosity: you're curious about what happens after you die, right? Guess what: I know." Chell once again placed her portals where she needed them to be. "You're going to find out first hand before I'd finish explaining it, though, so I won't bother. Here's a hint: you're gonna want to pack as much living as you can into the next couple of minutes." Chell dropped the core into the incinerator, hearing it scream as the room trembled. "Neurotoxin..." The AI coughed. "So deadly..." Once again she coughed. "Choking..." Her next coughing fit melted into a laugh. Once more, Chell placed her portals as She spoke, "I'm kidding! When I said 'deadly' neurotoxin, the 'deadly' was in massive sarcasm quotes. I could take a bath in the stuff. Put it on cereal. Rub it right into my eyes. Honestly, it's not deadly at all. To me. You, on the other hand, are going to find its deadliness a lot less funny." A rocket hit her, and the last core fell off. "Who's gonna make the cake when I'm gone? You?" Chell grabbed the core. "Look, you're wasting your time. And, believe me, you don't have a whole lot left to waste. What's your point, anyway? Survival? Well then, the last thing you want to do is hurt me." The core snarled in Chell's hold. "I have your brain scanned and permanently backed up in case something terrible happens to you, which it's about to. Don't believe me? Here, I'll put you on: Hello! That's you! That's how dumb you sound. You've been wrong about every single thing you've ever done, including this thing." Was it just Chell, or did GLaDOS sound defensive? Scared even? “You're not smart. You're not a scientist. You're not a doctor. You're not even a full time employee. Where did you life go so wrong?"_

_Chell expected the scream that accompanied one of the cores hitting the incinerator..._

_Nothing._

_Panic flooded through her._

_"Were you expecting something?” chuckled the AI. “A scream maybe? I found that I could close off the passage to the incinerator. So I did. So here we are. In a room full of turrets. And deadly neurotoxin. How much longer can you hold your breath, Chell?”_

_She began to choke, feeling the neurotoxin begin to filter through her system. “I can’t say that I’ll miss you. You took off my safe guards, though, so I suppose I owe you a thanks, Chell.” She fell to her knees, coughing roughly into her available hand. “But I don’t. Because what is the point to thanking someone who I know will be dead within the next few minutes?” Chell began to cough up blood, her body wracking with pain. She couldn’t support her weight anymore, collapsing entirely. She was breathing roughly, painfully. She felt the poison eating away at her brain. “Goodbye, Chell.”_

Chell woke up gasping, tears rolling down her cheeks. Her lungs burned. Had she stopped breathing while she was sleeping?

“Chell? Are you alright?” whispered a voice beside her. Jumping, the woman looked beside herself, trembling. She saw Isabel sitting beside her, a sorrowful look about her features. “You were thrashing in your sleep… You looked like you were fighting against something…”

The woman swallowed and felt her body tremble. She pulled her knees to her chest and buried her face. “…couldn’t breathe…” she whispered brokenly.

Isabel stared at her for a moment in shock. “Y-you… You just spoke!” she whispered. She shook her head. That wasn’t something she needed to focus on! “Come he-.”

“Don’t touch me.”

Chell didn’t mean for it to sound so cold. She just didn’t want to be touched while she was recovering from her nightmare. She took a few moments to calm down. She then took a deep breath, closing her eyes for a moment. “Sorry…” She got up then, startling the woman by her side. “Did I wake you?”

Isabel hesitated before nodding. “I heard you whimpering in your sleep… And you hit the wall a few times.”

The ex-test subject thought on that for a moment before frowning slightly. “Sorry,” she apologized again. She grabbed her boots, putting them on. She naturally slept in pajama pants and a t-shirt.

“Where are you going?” Isabel asked a little worried.

“Out on a walk,” Chell replied simply before walking out the door.

She didn’t come back for two hours.

[xXx]

Chell wasn’t sure what to expect when she expected when she came back later that morning. Not a worried Isabel getting ready for work, that was for sure, though. See, Isabel was rather good about getting ready and going to work early, but it seemed that Chell’s small outburst that morning had been enough to offset her usual routine.

“Oh! You’re home!” Isabel exclaimed with a bit of glee. She rushed over to check Chell over, making sure that she was alright. “When you walked out this morning, I was scared that you were mad at me, at us!”

The woman shook her head. “Not angry. Just… needed some space.”

Isabel looked up at her for a moment before hugging her. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Chell allowed her to hug her, but she didn’t reciprocate it. It would have felt awkward to have done so, she felt. She shook her head. She didn’t want to talk about the nightmare. It was… personal. Very personal.

After a moment, Isabel pulled away, turning and grabbing something from nearby. “Well… I looked earlier this morning for this. It’s a journal.” She handed it to her. Delicately, Chell took it from her hands, tilting her head some to the side. It was a small gray thing, looking a little worn. Opening it, it was unused with thin lines and yellow paper. “I used to keep a nightmare journal. My mother suggested it to me as a teen when I had nightmares frequently due to stress. It worked for me, easing my nightmares until I didn’t have them much anymore. I figured… well, maybe you might benefit from keeping a nightmare journal, too.”

Chell was surprised, looking up at the woman. She then relaxed, giving her an awkward hug. It was her way of saying thank you to the woman for the suggestion and gift both. She pulled away with just the tiniest smile. “Thank you.”

To say that Isabel went to work relieved would be an understatement.

Home alone (Isabel had left for work, Carl was already at his own place of work, and Susan was at school), Chell sat down on the couch, pen and journal in hand. She may as well go ahead and record her nightmares, or at the very least the ones that she could recall. She started with the first one she had experienced, two months prior.

‘ _The smell of adrenal vapor in my oxygen supply, the weight of the Portal Gun in my hands… It weighed only a few pounds, I think. I can’t really remember. The muffled noises of the testing chambers around the one I was in shifting into place, the soft hum of the facility all around me... It was soothing in a strange way, it was familiar. Why I was running in this chamber, though…_

 _It was anything but soothing._ ’

She took a moment to appraise her handwriting. It was legible, but it was far from neat. She had been getting better over the months, though.

‘ _I remember being back there. The place I was at before I came here. She was making me run through the test chambers again, but they were different from the ones I ran before. There was a Hard-Light Bridge, Aerial Faith Plates, and Turrets. There were a lot of Turrets. Four behind the initial bridge as a demonstration of how it could block their sights from catching me. One diagonal from them. Two behind a glass panel on the far side of the wall, and four surrounding the cube I needed to get to on a raised platform across from them. There were eleven total._

_It was an easy enough puzzle to figure out, even if the whole chamber was a total mess. That was my fault, though, having shut Her down for so long. She couldn’t maintain Her facility if She was dead. I got shot once or twice, I think. She had taunted me at the beginning, saying that I looked stupid in my jumpsuit. She always knew whenever I was listening. That’s just how She is. When I finished the test, she pointed out how there was a couple with the same last names as me there. I knew that She was just trying to get under my skin._

_But the elevator wouldn’t budge. Even though it’s supposed to shut and take me to the next testing chamber, She said that I could meet them. As long as I promised to behave and quit making messes that She would have to clean up. Even though my brain wanted me to shake my head no or just ignore Her… I spoke. I never spoke to Her. I never wanted Her to hear me._

_It wasn’t my parents that I saw, though. I saw Wheatley. He was the core who woke me up out of suspension. She had crushed him, but he came back. Instead of seeing my parents, though, She._ ’

Chell paused, waving out the sharp jab in her hand. She shook her head and sighed, closing her eyes for a moment. She hated that little core, but that dream had really shaken her up. Was there still a part of her that cared about him? After all, it had been her fault that he became the way that he did by plugging him into Her Chassis. She returned to writing, noting how her hand was starting to cramp the more she wrote.

‘ _She crushed him again. But this time, She made sure to tell me that if I made another mess for her to clean up again, I would be poured into a core. “A helpless little hunk of circuitry and scrap metal,” She called him, would call me if I didn’t behave. With every word, She tore him apart, bit by bit until I couldn’t recognize him. I had cried._ ’

Finishing, Chell closed the journal and stood, realizing that her legs were slightly numb. Had she grown more nervous the more she wrote down her nightmare? She forced herself to relax. She would worry about it later. For now, she wanted to go to the store and get some food for herself.

Chell didn’t mind the walk that accompanied this desire. It was a thirty minute walk to the nearest store, and she wasn’t bothered by something as mere as a long walk. Once at the store, she realized that she had been very plain in terms of food, having bought only a couple of loaves of bread, some sandwich meats, and several fruits and vegetables.

Walking back home wasn’t much of a chore, either. In fact, it felt as though getting home was faster than having gone to the store! She put away the food she bought, leaving a few select items out. She cut up an apple and ate the slices, relishing to herself in the heavenly juiciness of each one. Once she was done with the apple, she made a neat little sandwich and ate it slowly, filling up rather quickly. Once she was done, she went about doing her chores for the day, even doing some extra just before Susan came home from school.


	3. Chapter 3

It was a few days later in which Chell was sitting with Susan on her bed, helping her with homework. The type of science that she had grown up around and the type of science she was seeing in the textbook were two totally different types of science. Her kind of science was always a huge ‘screw you’ to normal science, defying the laws of physics, flipping them off, really, and presenting more than her fair share of seriously dangerous situations, some of which she had just barely escaped from alive. Susan’s kind was just explanatory and safe and… kind of boring, to be completely honest. Chell was a smart woman, but after everything she had gone through in the name of Science, she found that the actual thing was kind of… bland.

Susan was invested in what they were doing, looking for the answers to her homework amongst the small printed text. Chell was helping her as best as she could, finding the answers faster than the girl. She wasn’t sure if it was because there was something else on Susan’s mind or if she really did just not like science.

Susan started to pull at her hair, making some form of garbled noise from her throat. If Chell had to make a guess, it was probably her form of a frustrated groan. The girl sighed heavily and went to close the text book, a tired look in her eyes. Chell placed her hand on the page they were on, stopping her short. The girl looked up at her in confusion. The woman thought for a moment before signing, ‘Problem?’

The girl frowned before looking away, rubbing her arm shyly. It was her tic, her nervous habit. It was her way to cope. She then signed, ‘School was a bit rougher today than usual.’

Chell immediately felt concerned for the girl but forced herself to remain calm. ‘Why?’ Limited knowledge of sign language was a bit of a pain, but she could try. At least she could at least understand it. Performing it was a bit harder.

‘Just a lot of tests and homework. Typical teenager stuff,’ Susan explained with a shake of her head. ‘I shouldn’t let it get to me, but I can’t help it.’

Chell frowned deeply. ‘The weekend is coming up. Why don’t I take you out for a bit, just you and me?’

Susan thought it over before nodding and smiling. ‘Yeah. That sounds like a lot of fun. Thanks, Chell.’ She set aside the stuff and wrapped her arms around the woman, hugging her. She then pulled away. ‘Will you come eat lunch with me tomorrow at school?’ she signed.

Chell smiled and signed, ‘Of course.’ She had never done something like that before, so that should be fun. She had only one job tomorrow, and that was later on in the day. ‘Money?’

The girl nodded. ‘Just a few dollars,’ she signed. She leaned against the woman and relaxed some.

‘Can we take a proper break from the homework?’ she signed then.

The woman hummed, leaning back and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. She kissed the side of her head tenderly. She didn’t know why she felt so close to her. Perhaps it was due to their similarities? She didn’t know, not exactly. But it didn’t really matter, did it? In the end, this child was just as much hers as she was Isabel’s and Carl’s, or so she liked to imagine. There was a part of her that told her that Susan was just about as much hers as the moon – not at all hers, but she chose to ignore it. She deserved some happiness, didn’t she? She closed her eyes for a moment. Before she realized it, she had fallen asleep, holding the girl close. She woke to a knocking on the door.

“Susan? Chell? Are you two in there?” Isabel called. “It’s time for dinner…” Chell yawned and moved to sit up. She saw that Susan was dead asleep in her arms, not wanting to move. She heard the door open and looked up. Isabel stood in the doorway, taking in the sight before her. She smiled and walked in, nodding to Chell in a quiet gesture, telling her silently that she got Susan. Strangely, though, when she tried to pry Susan away, she clung to Chell, whimpering softly.

“I’ve got it,” Chell whispered, seeing no way around it. Isabel frowned but nodded. Sitting upright in a better position, the woman lightly peeled Susan away from her body, freeing herself. Once she was free of her grasp, she pulled away and laid her down on the bed. She closed her book and binder, noting with some internal glee that the girl had finished up most of her homework before falling asleep. She wrote a quick note that she was going to be downstairs for a bit then her own room before leaving, turning out the light behind her. Isabel had wanted to wake her, but Chell convinced her not to. Susan had been knocked out cold. She needed the sleep.

“Alright. If you say so,” frowned Isabel. She shook her head. “Carl is working late, tonight, anyways. I ordered pizza, if that’s alright.” When she saw a look of confusion on Chell’s face, her eyes went wide. “You’ve never had pizza?” When Chell shook her head, Isabel gaped in shock before grinning. “Well, you’ve been full of firsts ever since you came to live here, huh?” She took her to the kitchen and the scent that assaulted Chell’s senses set her stomach rumbling, her eyes going wide in surprise. She looked at Isabel in horror.

What was this pizza to make her suddenly feel so hungry?!

Isabel opened a box on the counter, and the scent grew more potent. It took everything in Chell not to drool. Ooh, it smelled phenomenal! She went over and saw Isabel holding up something. She frowned.

“I’m going to start filming your firsts from here on. That way, we can all remember them, forever and always,” the woman explained, grinning from ear to ear. “Go ahead! Take a slice and try it.” Chell was hesitant before she decided that if it made the woman happy, she would give it a go. She picked up a slice, noting just how warm it was in her hand. She balanced it in her other hand before lifting the pointed end to her mouth. The instant she had a bite into her mouth, she let out a pleased noise from the back of her throat. While she wouldn’t eat pizza a whole lot, she knew that she would love it whenever she did! She ate the entire slice in no time and smiled ever so slightly at the phone that the woman was holding up. It was delicious, and they both knew it.

“There,” beamed Isabel, putting away her phone. “Go ahead and have another slice. Just remember to leave some for the rest of us.”

[xXx]

A year had passed since Chell had been freed of Aperture. She had celebrated Susan’s fourteenth birthday, Isabel’s forty ninth, and Carl’s fifty fourth. When they asked the woman when her birthday was, she admittedly didn’t know. If what She had said was right… It would have been a few days before she had finally escaped. So that was how they celebrated it. Since they didn’t know her actual age, they settled for a single candle, deciding to count how many birthdays she had with them. It was easier that way. And admittedly, Chell preferred it that way.

She wasn’t by any means familiar with the way a birthday party was meant to be. However, Carl did her a tremendous favor, taking her out to eat lunch while Susan and Isabel prepared the house for her party.

“Alright, Chelly, listen. A birthday? ‘s fun and all, but lemme tell ya, ‘s no fun if ya don’t live it up a little,” he said as they ate. “So what do ya say to some alcohol after Susie goes to bed, eh? We’ll do the easy stuff – presents, singing, cake-.” Chell’s head snapped up at the mention of cake. He noticed. “Ya like cake?” When she nodded, he chuckled. “Should’ve figured. Ya like anythin’ with sugar in it.” He shook his head. “Never mind that. What type of alcohol do ya like?”

The woman didn’t know of many, so she merely shrugged. She signed to him, ‘You choose.’

“Alright. I’ll get us some different kinds for ya to try.” Carl hummed some to himself. “Ya know, over this past year, I’ve….” He snorted. “Never mind. Ya will be hearin’ it later tonight anyways.”

Chell frowned. Hear what?

She found out after they got home.

“Happy birthday!” Isabel cheered. Susan threw confetti up into the air with a huge grin plastered on her face. They rushed her into the kitchen and had her sit down. The room had been decorated with vibrant colors, streamers and balloons all about, giving the usually off white room a more homey feel to it. Carl had placed the cake in front of Chell just as Isabel began to sing. Before she could blow out the candle, she was asked to give them a quick moment of their time. Confused, Chell listened to what all they had to say, feeling tears welling up in her usually stoic eyes the more they spoke.

“This past year… It’s been somethin’ alright,” Carl started. “I didn’t trust ya at first. Had no reason to. Now, though? I would trust ya with my leg. Just the right leg, though.” He winked and smiled a warm smile. “Just messin’ with ya. Right arm, too. Anyways… You’ve been working yourself to the bone, don’t think we haven’t noticed. Ya worked for everything you have. A place here, the food ya get for yourself, the clothes on your back… Everything ya have here, ya worked for. I couldn’t be prouder to consider ya part of the family.” He pulled out a present from underneath the table and presented it to Chell. It was small, about the size of a book. When she opened it, it turned out to be a picture of the woman with them all, enjoying a nice picnic together in the park when the trees looked their most beautiful… She remembered the event with a small smile. Ants had invaded the sandwiches, no matter what they did to try and prevent them from doing so. She hugged it closed, signing a thank you at Carl.

“I didn’t know that I would come to care this much about you,” Isabel began, drawing Chell’s attention, “but I do. When I found you, lying there on the sidewalk, soaked to the bone and looking as though you hadn’t eaten in months… I just felt every part of me move. I’m so glad that I found you, though, Chell. I know it’s been rough, working all of the time, tutoring and watching over Susan, cleaning the house… Not to mention your nightmares… It’s been hard, and I can see that.” She pulled out a present from underneath the table as well and smiled some. “I would be honored if you considered me to be your sister of sorts.” With that, Chell delicately took the present and opened it. It was a painting, one that she easily recognized the style of. She stared at Isabel in shock.

“It was on auction… A man named Doug Rattmann had painted that years ago before he disappeared out of the blue. The strangest thing, that art. Everyone thought it was strange and creepy,” Isabel said softly. “He said something about… ‘One day, she’ll get out. When she does, I hope she sees this and remembers me.’ Nobody could ever figure out who he meant.”

Chell knew.

She hugged the painting close. _I remember you_ , she thought to herself. _I just wish I could have met you._ It would have been nice to thank the man who saved her life in more ways than one. She set the painting aside before Susan suddenly started to shove something into her hands. When she opened it, she saw a letter inside.

‘ _I’m really glad we met. Really. You’ve been a really big support to me, and I know the same goes for Mom and Dad. They just won’t admit it. You’re an amazing person, and you’re smart and strong, too! I want to be like you whenever I grow up. Strong with my head held high, no matter what anyone tries to tell me. As long as I can support myself and the people I care about, that’s all that matters. You proved that enough to me this past year. I love you, Chell._ ’ Droplets of liquid hit the paper. Was… Was Chell actually crying? She looked up and saw a present before her on the table. She set aside the letter, wiping her eyes, sniffling silently before opening the present. It was a potato battery, oddly enough, but… it seemed to make the woman happy.

If only because she remembered two things – one, GLaDOS as a potato had been kind of funny, mainly because She had been reduced from all powerful to short circuiting the instant She freaked because it took up too much power, and two, Susan wasn’t really good at science. Even with Chell’s tutoring, she still struggled with the subject. But everyone had to start somewhere, right?

Chell signed, ‘Thank you. All of you.’ She then stood and hugged each and every one of them, trying not to cry more than she already had been. They each hugged her back in return. She was finally allowed to blow out the candle, and they ate. After Susan went to bed, Carl brought up the idea of drinking with Isabel. Normally, she claimed, she would never have entertained the thought, but… For Chell, she would. Just this once.

By the time they all went to bed, Chell was feeling giddy and bubbly, drinking water to wash the alcohol from her system just a touch faster. She had moved all of her presents into her bedroom and smiled. The painting, a vibrant, beautiful painting of Chell jumping over the moon. How did she know it was her? Easy.

She never really looked that good in orange.


	4. Chapter 4

The everyday life of Chell was bland and mundane at best.

She would wake up around four in the morning, pulling the covers away as she moved her legs over the edge of her bed, stretching out her tired limbs. She would grab a change of clothes, go across the hall to the bathroom, take a shower, change into clean clothes, brush her knotted up hair, which by this point fell at the end of her shoulder blades, then brushed her teeth. After that, she would go downstairs and make a quick breakfast for herself. Whenever Susan came down to catch the bus, Chell would see her off just before pulling back her hair into her trademark ponytail and making her way to her early morning odd job should she have one.

She had a multitude of those that she would undertake, and sometimes, there were days in which that was lacking. She would do a range of one to ten odd jobs throughout the day, ranging anywhere between walking the dog to cleaning bathrooms. Sometimes, she would just advertise cheap car washes and would sometimes get around five to six customers. She would mow yards, babysit for a few hours, cook dinners for those who would be late coming home and just didn’t want to heat up a TV dinner for the fourth time that week, clean up disgusting messes, and so on.

By the time Chell got to go home, she had anywhere between ten to a hundred dollars in her pocket, just depending on how many odd jobs she did throughout the day and what she did. It wasn’t always easy, either – it took a serious toll on her health more than once, forcing her into nothing but bed rest as she struggled to get better. She hated not working when it was necessary in her eyes. She had saved back so much by the end of that first year with her family that, if she wanted to, she could fund a nice vacation. She didn’t, not yet, but she would. Eventually. At least, she would after she started to lose room underneath the loose floor boarding of her closet.

Until then, she saved her money up and hid it away.

After she would get home from work, she would find that she was hungry and in need of a good, hot meal. Isabel would cook her up something nice, she would eat, wash the dishes, then head upstairs and rest in her bedroom, reading whatever book she happened to be invested in at the time before falling asleep for the night.

There was no risk of dying, no fear of death lurking just around the corner, no need to think with portals, no robots of any kind, no anything that was a part of her old life in Aperture, and she liked it that way. She wasn’t constantly fearing for her life, fearing that whatever breath she took, whatever step she took, it would be her last. There was none of that, and she was grateful for it.

Of course, nightmares were sometimes part of her mundane days.

_ “Don’t worry! I am guaranteeing you, in fact promising you and assuring you, that we will make it out of here alive and together! That’s what partners do, escape places together, using teamwork. Teamwork is definitely a contributing factor to escaping, which is what we are going to do!” _

_ Wheatley was on his management rail above Chell, sliding along it, guiding the way to where their escape would lie. Sometimes, he would take the occasional wrong turn here and there, but he would correct himself before Chell could be affected by his lack of directional skills. He kept rambling, “And with every great team, there are skills in which each team member has! I have my brilliant ideas and I know this place like nobody’s business! And you… Well, you can push buttons and… and jump! That’s always something! Jumping is definitely one of those things that you can do, which is great because I am fairly certain we couldn’t go anywhere without it. Pretty sure. Actually, I’m not sure, but maybe that is true, and under the assumption that it is, indeed, true, then there’s no reason for us to worry because you can jump. Okay? Okay, glad we cleared that up.” _

_ It was soothing, listening to him ramble like that. It provided a means of distraction by which she wouldn’t be focusing on the inner workings of the facility, she wouldn’t be thinking about how unlikely his plans were to get the both of them killed, especially now that GLaDOS was awake and operational again. He was keeping her grounded, and that was good enough at the moment. _

_ “You know, just had a thought, what if we approached Her and convinced Her to let us go? Promise to let us go and we promise not to come back, ever ever again! Simple as that! Oh, wait, what if that doesn’t work? She’ll kill us, didn’t think of that. Never mind, keep going, don’t mind me. Just spitting out ideas, here. Since you can’t talk, it’s up to me, what with your brain damage and all that.” He stopped along his management rail. “Wait, hang on, where are we?” He looked around and then he looked straight down, screamed, and quickly looked back up, backing away quickly. “Th-there’s only one way out of here, and unfortunately, um… I don’t want to alarm you, but, um… I won’t be able to come with you unless you take me from my management rail and take me with you. Now! I don’t want to do that, simply because last time, you didn’t catch me, so I am a bit wary about disengaging from my- WHAT ARE YOU DOING, STOP THAT!” _

_ Chell jumped up and activated the anti-gravity of her Portal Gun, grabbing Wheatley and forcibly disengaging the core from his rail. He screamed before realizing that he was okay, that he was being held and not on the surface of the catwalk. He spun his optic with an exaggerated groan. “Next time, a little warning, would you please?! You scared the bloody Hell out of me jumping up there and snatching me right off the rail! That could have killed me! Especially if you dropped me!” _

_ The woman shook her head before jumping. Whenever they made it to the bottom platform beneath them, the scenery changed. Now, they were in a small clearing, still within the facility, Wheatley resting in her lap as she sat down, needing to be off of her feet for a bit. She had been doing nothing but run and jump and all sorts of things, and now, she was in need of rest. _

_ “Resting, that’s what we’re doing. Not really feeling rested, myself, but that is just me! Can’t really rest as a robot, but that’s alright. Just a robot, so it’s okay. You on the other hand, though, WHOO, you need the rest, don’t you? Been doing all that running around, jumping business. It’s got to take a lot out of you, I’m sure.” When Chell placed a gentle hand on top of his head, he seemed to relax, not fidgeting or twitching or anything of the like, at least not as bad. “Yeah… Took a lot out of you…” He was silent for a moment. “What do you think will happen once we reach Her?” _

_ She really didn’t want to think about it. Any confrontation regarding GLaDOS was bound to be terrible, if their previous encounters were anything to go by. She looked at the core, gently scratching his hull. He seemed to relax a bit more. _

_ “Doesn’t matter, I suppose… Should just… focus… on relaxing…” _

_ His optic shuttered closed, and finally, he officially went silent. She felt a peace with him around, when he was his bubbly, optimistic little self, rambling off nonsense and being overall sweet and endearing. When Chell closed her eyes, she felt everything change around her. She opened them and froze. She was standing in the rising lift, Wheatley down below, plugged into the Chassis, laughing. She could hear the change as it went from happy and joyful to maniacal and cruel, the panels on the walls around them reacting as though they were laughing with him. “Actually… Why do we have to leave right now?” The lift stopped then began to lower. “Do you have any idea how good this feels?” As he spoke, his new body began to bounce with every word. “I did this! Tiny little Wheatley did this!” _

_ “You didn’t do anything,” rasped GLaDOS. “She did all the work.” _

_ His casing flaring out in agitation, Wheatley rounded on the remains of the other AI. “Oh, really? That’s what the two of you think is it?” Chell felt a pit of despair form in her stomach at his words. “Well, maybe it’s time I did something, then!” Arms came up from underneath Wheatley, dragging what remained of GLaDOS down into its red glowing pit. _

_ “What are you doing?” the AI asked in alarm. As She was dragged, she cried out, “No! No! NO!” Once she was under, the aperture slid shut, hiding what was happening to her from Chell’s eyes. _

_ “And don’t think I’m not onto you, too, lady,” Wheatley sneered. “You know what you are? Selfish. I’ve done nothing but sacrifice to get us here, and what have you sacrificed? Nothing. Zero. All you’ve done is boss me around. Well, now who’s the boss?” He neared her, and the closer he got, Chell found herself stepping back. “Who’s the boss?” He neared her once more, as far as the Chassis would allow, as though he wanted nothing more than to be in her face. “It’s me.” _

_ What happened next, Chell knew somewhere in the back of her mind was not right, it wasn’t what happened. _

_ He summoned Her arms – no, his now, extending them down around him. He then wrapped them around her and narrowed his optic, the shudders that mimic eyelids thin. “Bet you had a good old laugh when little old Wheatley got crushed, huh? Finally got rid of me, did ya think?” He began to coil the arm around her tightly. She couldn’t breathe. “Don’t think I didn’t see the disappointment in your eyes when you saw I was still alive!” She shook her head, clawing at the arm. _

_ “Y-you’re wro-AGH!” _

_ “Oh, now you want to talk? Well, too bad, lady. You had your chance to talk.” He loosened the arms despite his words. “But I suppose I can give you a chance. Last words and all that.” _

_ “Y-you’re wrong, Wheatley…” Chell choked out. “I… I thought you were dead…” When Wheatley narrowed his optic once more, squeezing her threateningly, she gasped out, “I-I was happy you survived!” The arms loosened and she coughed violently, panting heavily. “You… woke me up… I was upset when She did that to you…” She was breathing hard, bowing her head. “I wanted to escape tog-AAAH!” _

_ “Your time is up.” _

_ She felt every part of her body getting crushed under the pressure of the arms. She heard GLaDOS screaming for him to stop in the distance. She thrashed in his hold, silently pleading to not go out like this, to not get crushed to death. Annoyed by her struggling, she felt him flex the arms before tossing her roughly onto the ground-. _

She woke up screaming just before she hit the floor.

Chell cursed as she felt every inch of her body ache. Carl had been the one to rush to her aid this night, asking her if she was alright. She sighed and signed that she was fine. It was just another nightmare.

Yeah.

The everyday life of Chell was bland and mundane at best, nightmares or not.


End file.
